1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a computer interface unit of an electronic control system, wherein the computer interface unit is configured for providing a user-oriented selection arrangement for selecting an appropriate adjustment sequence for changing the alignment of a flexible membrane on a cylinder. The interface unit can be directly connected with a computer processor unit for directing the computer processor unit in the selection of an appropriate correction algorithm for operating the control devices for carrying out the adjustment. In general, a control console can be provided with operating elements for inputting control commands, display elements for displaying a respective status, and control keys for inputting the necessary information for carrying out the control operation.
2. Background Information
A computer processor controlled adjusting unit of the type described above is usable for adjusting the alignment of a plate cylinder which is supported in an essentially fixed manner by one of its ends, while the other end can preferably be supported in an adjustable eccentric bearing connected to an adjusting device. The plate cylinder can then be adjustable in a positive or negative sense, to thereby permit a diagonal-alignment correction. For carrying out the adjustment steps, the adjusting device can preferably be interfaced with and controlled by a computer processor unit.
One such type of electronic control device for performing various alignments, or setting the various registers, such as, diagonal register, circumferential register, and lateral register, is disclosed by the German Patent 37 18 594 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,472. With this disclosed device, what complicates matters is the fact that, when effecting the setting via such a register control console, the operator does not only have to perform the tilting of the cylinder, but also must additionally perform a circumferential-register correction, in particular if there is a diagonal-register deviation on the drive side.
In a printing machine, a control device can be provided to correct for the various registers of a flexible plate mounted on a plate cylinder, wherein the control device can include a control console as described above, and wherein the console can include operating elements to input control commands, display elements to display a respective status of the machine, and control keys to input values related to the register deviation in the areas of the register marks of a printed image. In a printing machine, the plate cylinder to be corrected can be firmly supported on the drive side of the machine, and can be pivot-mounted on the operating side. As such, aside from re-adjusting the plate on the cylinder, diagonal corrections can essentially only be effected by movements of the plate cylinder on the operating side of the machine.
In many printing machines, the plate cylinder is supported in an essentially fixed manner on the drive side of the machine, and on the operating side, the plate cylinder can preferably be supported in an adjustable eccentric bearing connected to an adjusting means. The plate cylinder can then be adjustable in a positive or negative sense, to thereby permit a diagonal-register correction. For this purpose the press operator has to state that there is a diagonal deviation on the printed sheet, and by pressing a respective control key, can tilt the cylinder, print a sheet, and then repeat the process as necessary, until the register marks are in correspondence with each other. This can typically require a large number of waste sheets and a rather lengthy adjusting time.